


In the Company of Bastards

by LA_CRIMOSA



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:15:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26159380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LA_CRIMOSA/pseuds/LA_CRIMOSA
Summary: Jon Snow travels to Essos on his 13th nameday to rise high as a bastard.There he meets Dyanna Sand, the bastard daughter of Ashara Dayne and Eddard Stark.Neither know their true heritage and live in constant bitterness and anger until the two bastards eventually learn to embrace their identities and secrets unfold.
Relationships: Ashara Dayne/Ned Stark (past), Jon Snow/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 41





	1. Ashara I

Ashara

283

Her daughter was beautiful; tuff of black hair on her perfectly symmetrical head, light violet eyes that may darken as she ages, and hints of the other-worldly beauty of Valyria.

A bittersweet laugh escaped from Ashara’s lips. She carried little to no hints of her father’s features. She couldn’t decide whether she was glad or disappointed.

Ashara had loved Ned - no, she still did - but the Stark was a dutiful man. He had sworn no vows to Ashara, only now-empty promises of love and marriage and several nights of affection in her bed sheets. Only for him to marry the Tully girl as was the duty of the Lord of Winterfell. 

She had not told him of her daughter yet, and as the Stark banners showed in the distance, Ashara made up her mind; Ned would not know his daughter. Was it a decision made from bitterness? Ashara did not know. But she did not have the mind to care. Elia and her children were dead and the love of her life was lost to her. She would not lose her daughter too. She would steel her heart to the man who had walked out of her life.

Her will was betrayed, however, at the sight of Ned as he walked into her chamber. The war had aged him; his once youthful eyes seemed to be clouded by sadness, his dark hair and beard messy and long, and while there were no noticeable scars on his face, hints of loss and grief showed in his features. Her heart bled as she masked her emotions with a face of indifference and greeted the man.

“Ned. It’s good to see you alive and... well.”

“Ashara...”

“Have you found your sister?”

At that Ned stiffened, and his already dark eyes seemed to darken further to a shade closer to black.

“Yes. I thank you for your help. Your brother has been injured but shall live. The same cannot be said for Lyanna.”

Ashara simply stared at the man and now realized just how close to breaking he was. Her will broke and her mask shattered.

She ran to embrace him, only for him to stiffen once again. Ashara thought he may push her away, but only a moment of doubt passed before he broke down in her arms, crying tears of sadness, anger, and regret.

They stood like that for what seemed to be an eternity until someone made his presence known with the clearing of his throat. Ashara looked up to see Arthur leaning against the door frame with his left thigh bandaged.

“I’m sorry to intrude, but Lord Stark and I have a matter to discuss.”

Ned wiped at his eyes and turned to face Arthur, his anguish now hidden under his usual stoic expression.

“There is no such matter, Ser Arthur. The child shall travel with me back to Winterfell.”

Ashara’s breath caught in her throat, as she remembered her daughter, hidden in the nursery next door. How had Ned found out about her? Would he really take her away?

She was not given a chance to voice her opinion, as Arthur vanquished such concerns for her.

“The king must be protected, but not raised as the sole stain on the oh so honorable Eddard Stark! I refuse to allow this to happen.”

“So you propose to take my blood away to the lands East, and live in constant fear of being discovered and murdered? I promised her that I would protect her son and if I must sacrifice my honor to do so, I shall not hesitate,” Ned countered.

Ashara finally found her voice at this point.

“The king? Aegon lives?”

Both men turned to her and seemed to finally fully recognize her presence in the room, but did not answer her question.

Then it dawned on her. Lyanna...

The silence continued to fill the room only served to confirm her suspicions. Ashara was then filled with an array of emotions. 

First came anger pointed towards Rhaegar for abandoning Elia for a young, innocent girl and towards Arthur for standing by such foolishness. Then came confusion, as Arthur had called the boy a king; surely Viserys had the better claim than a bastard? Finally her mind settled for sadness for the boy. His parents were taken from him at birth, and now he would live his life in shame and uncertainty under the eyes of judgemental men who would call his mother a simple nameless whore and the boy a stain the honorable Eddard Stark had to care for.

The solution was clear for Ashara then.

“I don’t care for the exact circumstances of the birth. But no child deserves to live under such scrutiny in a newly formed household.”

Ned flinched at the reminder of his new marriage, but Ashara ignored him.

“I agree that Ned should claim the boy as his own. And I shall do the same.”

Both men gaped at her, and before either could refuse her remedy, she continued.

“People talk of our relationship already. It wouldn’t be strange for a child to have been born between us. Especially as it was before your marriage to Hoster Tully’s daughter, the boy’s shame may be limited this way while still hidden away from those who may question his heritage. You could tell the boy you loved his mother once, and was forced away from her by your duty.”

When Arthur addressed her for the first time since entering her chambers, he almost looked hopeful.

“Will you raise him at Starfall? Will I be able to serve the king?”

She did not hesitate when she replied with a sharp “No”

“People will suspect when they see the Sword of the Morning lingering in Starfall caring for the son of the man who dishonored his sister.”

Once again, Ned flinched before finally speaking.

“I cannot ask you for any of this Ashara...”

She cut him off however, and in a moment of weakness, her bitterness took over and decided to hurt him.

“I did in fact give birth to your babe, Ned. Except she did not live to see the world.”

She watched as the stoic facade crumble, and a flash of horror appeared before being replaced by an expression of shame and guilt. Ashara had to finish her thought for she feared she would break even more.

“So no, I do not think I will be able to care for a babe who have brought me such sadness.”

The room was quiet after her declaration, and eventually, Arthur hobbled off, with no hint of any hope he had worn before. 

She was now alone with Ned, who simply looked... tired.

She had to say something. Anything. She had to tell him how much he had really hurt her. Did she blame him? Yes. But she still loved him. Would he want to know?

“I’m sorry Ash,” Ned declared, making Ashara jump from her thoughts.

“I wanted to spend my life with you... I was never meant to have any of this, for it was all Brandon’s. I never wanted anything in my life, until I met you... All I wanted was to be happy with you and an entire pack of our own wolf cubs...”

He chuckled humorlessly before continuing.

“You may not want to hear it, but... I loved you Ashara. And truly, I still do. But I must leave you for the gods have chosen to bestow upon me duties I have never hoped to have. 

“You may never forgive me, but I wish... I wish you to be happy, and one day move on from the man who only brought you grief.”

Ashara was suddenly sobbing, and before she could stop herself, she flung herself to Ned and kissed him passionately, starling the said man who eventually kissed her back. 

This moment of affection ended with Ned pulling back, looking flustered and conflicted.

“Ashara, I can’t...”

She stepped back, smiling sadly and looked deeply into his now stormy eyes for the last time.

“I understand. And while you may not believe me, I forgive you. I loved you more than I ever believed to be possible, but I know that it must end. None of this was your fault. The gods are simply cruel to everyone equally, it seems.

“However, I won’t ever forget you. Or our babe. I will hold on to the moments of love and grief we shared until my last breath. And I hope you will do the same.”

They stood, staring intently into each other’s eyes, until Ned finally nodded and turned to leave. He stopped himself, however, and turned almost shyly, and asked, “Did she have a name? Before...” He hesitated to continue.

Ashara wiped away the tears from her face, and smiled.

“Dyanna, after the ever-fertile Dayne queen.”

Ned let out a quick, homourous laugh before looking forlorn once again.

“A beautiful name,” he said, and gave her a final attempt at a smile, and turned to walk out of her life forever.

———————————————

As the Stark banners slowly disappeared into the distance, Arthur approaced her once again.

“I’m going North,” he said, causing Ashara to turn abruptly.

“What? Why?”

“I swore my life to the king. I live to serve.”

“You’ll only cause suspicion if you are near him, Arthur,” Ashara scolded, exasperated at her brother’s stubbornness.

He turned to face her, with such sadness in his eyes. 

Gods she’d had enough of such despair for today.

She took him by his hand before he could reply, and led her to the nursery, where Dyanna lay resting.

Arthur looked puzzled at first, until finally he looked horrified.

“You lied to him? You gave birth to a healthy babe!”

“Yes. And I wish to keep her.”

“But Eddard Stark needed to...”

“No. It would have broken him. He had to leave me, and if he had known he had an actual bastard with the woman he still loved? I can’t do that to him.”

That’s when she knew. She had lied to Ned not to hurt him, but to protect him. She truly loved him too much.

With Arthur still at a loss of words, Ashara continued.

“Come with me to Essos. Let us leave this wretched place we call Westeros. Come with me and protect me and my daughter from any harm. And when she comes of age, you may choose to leave us for your king.”

She knew she was being unfair, to have her brother choose between duty and his loved ones once more, but she didn’t care. This way, she would protect everyone.

Arthur hesitated for what seemed like hours, before finally nodding.

Ashara smiled before turning serious once more.

“We must spread the news of our deaths before we leave Arthur. We can’t have anyone looking for us.”

And so, the news of the plummet of Lady Ashara and her brother reached the rest of the realm, as the siblings and Dyanna Sand escaped the lands that only brought sorrow upon those who seeked happiness.


	2. Jon I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon Snow leaves Winterfell

Jon Snow

296

“Father please,” Jon implored.

His father simply stared at him with his grey eyes filled with disappointment.

“You wish to become a sell sword? A weapon of war who aligns himself to the highest bidder? Where is the honor in that Jon?”

Jon flushed red and was on the verge of tears in shame. Not because he had disappointed his father, the greatest man he had known in his life, but because he simply did not care at the moment.

“Father, what use is honor for a bastard like me? All my life I’ve wanted to prove myself worthy of your blood and ease your shame of having fathered me. Yes, the Wall may be an honorable calling for one like me. But father, I want to see the world outside of the North before I root myself down to the lands beyond the realms of men. So please, for the love you bear for me, let me travel to Essos after my nameday.”

Lord Stark simply sighed and turned to his back on his son.

“We shall speak more of this later.”

———————————————-

Lord Stark had continued to avoid any possible chance of individual confrontation, and Jon’s 13th nameday arrived without incident.

After minimal celebration with his siblings, Jon seeked audience with Lord Stark.

He found his father praying in the godswood, usually a sign of conflict for the solemn lord.

“Father,” Jon called

His father slowly rose with a sigh and turned to face his son.

“I presume you wish to speak of your departure for Essos?”

“Yes father. I believe it would be the best route for me.”

His father sighed once more and glanced up at the darkening sky.

“You may not have my name Jon, but you are my blood. You will always have a place here at Winterfell. There is no reason for you to leave.”

Jon bit his lower lip drawing blood, to stop himself from speaking truthfully. 

He could not tell his father that, no, he did not belong in Winterfell with the Starks, for he could not explain his reasoning. He simply did not feel... welcome. His father and siblings loved him, and even the judgemental glares of Lady Stark had become bearable over the years.

And yet, at night he dreamed of the crypts of Winterfell, the place of ancient Starks, and never before had Jon felt so out of place. He could hear the whispers of his father’s forefathers imploring him to leave.

“You don’t belong... this is not your place...”

And so, Jon had to leave. He wanted to find a place he could truly belong.

“Father, I wish to leave. I need to leave, for my sake, not anyone else’s,” he pressed further, and finally, his father seemed to accept.

“Understood. You may leave as soon as you are ready. I will notify Jory accompany you to White Harbor.”

Jon grinned, and thanked his father before leaving to pack for his departure.

———————————-

His farewells to his siblings were more difficult than he had imagined.

Bran and Arya were inconsolable, Rickon was crying because his older siblings were, and even Robb and Sansa showed hints of sadness when bidding their farewell.

Arya had even begged him to take her with him, much to Lady Stark’s disdain, and such devotion from his sister broke Jon’s heart.

He hugged his favorite sibling tightly, promising her that he would return eventually with many gifts to accompany Needle, the sword he had secretly presented to Arya.

This finally calmed Arya, allowing him to pull away and face his father.

They simply stared into each other’s almost identical grey orbs before his father surprised him with a bear hug.

Before Jon could recover and recuperate, his father whispered into his ear, “When we meet again, we shall speak of your mother.”

Jon stiffened in his father’s embrace, his eyes widening in shock.

It was an unspoken truth that Jon’s mother had been his lord father’s past love, the infamous Lady Ashara Dayne who had taken her own life alongside her disgraced brother, Ser Arthur Dayne.

No one spoke of her in fear of provoking Lady Stark and Jon knew better than to ask his father for any specifics.

And to think his father had broached the topic first and had promised the truth from his own lips, Jon was more determined than ever. He would find himself in the lands East and return a man worthy of the truth.

Jon ended their embrace and nodded at his father’s sad and conflicted face before finally getting atop his horse to head beyond the lands of the North with his direwolf Ghost trudging alongside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, not really happy about this one, but wanted to put it out there to get into the main bulk of the story. I may choose to come back and edit this mess though.
> 
> I’m ashamed to admit I almost forgot about Ghost until too late into the story, so I promise to properly introduce him soon.
> 
> We should be in Essos by the next chapter, as there won’t be much happening in White Harbor or the voyage itself


	3. Jon II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon's journey to Braavos

Jon Snow II

The journey to White Harbor was uneventful to say the least.

Jory was definitely a disappointment as a travel companion, and the direwolf Ghost was not much better, as he was usually away hunting.

Jon was in a daze for most of the week they traveled, and he did not recover to remember much of what happened at White Harbor. 

They were welcomed by the Manderly’s, but the welcome was as unwelcome as Northern hospitality allowed them. Once again, Jon did not care, as he was only thinking of what lay in the future for him in the unknown lands of Essos.

On his voyage to Braavos, Jon thought more of his future as a sell-sword. His father was right; there was little honor in the life of a sell sword whose loyalties lie in coin only, and killed for different men with different reasons for coin. Jon knew he wanted to be more than the bastard of Eddard Stark, but he still wanted to be recognized as the man’s son. He wanted to be as honorable and dutiful as the man he respected more than anyone. He knew such values and wishes would be difficult to keep as a mercenary. 

Still, his desire to leave and search for something different outweighed any guilt that Jon felt for straying from a path his lord father would be proud of. He wanted to prove to himself that he was something more than a stain on Lord Stark’s honor more than he wanted to prove as a dutiful son. That could come after he knew what he was and what he wanted.

It was only after he landed on Braavos that it really hit him; he did not know what to expect in Essos. First, he would have to actually find the Company of the Rose.

There were many sell sword companies that existed in Essos, such as the Golden Company or the Second Sons, but he had specifically desired to join the Company of the Rose, the organization created by Brandon Snow, the respected bastard brother of Torrhen Stark, the King who Knelt. Another bastard who had strayed from his true born family to achieve something he believed in. A different form of honor, but honorable nonetheless.

The problem, however, was that no one could really say where the Company of the Rose was located. Many stories were told of the company of the northern bastard, but no two were the same. The general consensus was that it was located somewhere east of Braavos, and there was a very specific requirement in enlisting in the company. 

“Only in the presence of the Winter Rose” was the saying. 

Jon held and observed the Winter Rose he had brought from the gardens of Winterfell, but he felt foolish the more he thought about it.  
Could the secret to joining the highly secretive and therefore selective sell-sword company be interpreted so simply?

He was brought out of his thoughts as he felt a nudge in his thigh. Jon looked down to find Ghost sniffing the rose and soon the great white beast brought his ruby red eyes to meet Jon’s grim grey eyes. Ghost stood, staring into his companions eyes before finally spinning and trotting in the eastern direction. 

Jon stood staring at his companion, not knowing what to do when Ghost stopped and stared back at him. The boy sighed and steeled himself before following the beast.

He wondered, not for the first nor last time, if he could really prove to be more than the bastard of Eddard Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I forgot I had this piece up on this site.   
> I'm ashamed to admit I have made zero progress, as life has been very busy and unorthodox.   
> My interests have changed, and I really don't know if my original draft of this story is even relevant anymore.   
> I may bring in different characters and maybe change up the pairings, but in the present, I'm leaning more towards keeping things the way I originally intended them to be.  
> Jon/OC may not be very popular, but I actually like what I have planned for the OC, so maybe it will be to everyone's (if anyone still cares) satisfaction.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story, and to make matters worse, it’s going to a long ass ride.  
> For now, my outline is 3 different arcs, with the first arc being focused on Jon and Dyanna with bits of Ashara and Arthur.  
> Relationship and characters will be updated each arc.  
> Hopefully I don’t disappoint.


End file.
